Oriole Bar Smithfield

There are a number of things that Oriole shares with NightJar, its award-winning big sister on Old Street that was last year voted one of the 50 best bars in the world.

The first is obscurity. NightJar is so exclusive (and elusive) that it doesn't have a street sign; just a tiny plaque that's easy to miss. Oriole, the newly launched sister bar, does better with a discreet lit sign to mark its location under the shutters of Smithfield market, but it's all very low key.

The nondescript exterior is a world away from what lies within; picture a decadent drinking den full of lacquered wood, gilded accents and vintage tropical wallpaper. You feel as though you've been whisked away to a chic paradise rather than beneath Smithfield market. It's the perfect date-night venue with your beloved. 

If beauty is judged by what we see, at Oriole it's by judged by what we taste. The cocktails are what you come for, no question. Each is a carefully balanced piece of imbibable artwork finished with exotic ingredients including custom made marshmallows, cheese crackers and bamboo. 

The cocktail menu, which looks like the scrapbook of a particularly well-traveled explorer, is split into three - New World, Old World and The Orient. Many bars lay claim to creating unique cocktails, but at Oriole, they truly are. All are crafted using rare ingredients and hard-to-find spirits and liqueurs.

The food offering includes sharing plates and light bites. We loved the burger, a flavourful melt-in-the-mouth beef patty dressed with American cheese, while the sauce-splashed patas bravas was devoured in seconds. Although Oriole is more of a live-music bar than a restaurant, there's enough on offer to satisfy your appetite.

Friendly staff, whose knowledge of the menu is positively encyclopedic, take time to decode the drinks or suggest one based on your regular tipple. Amazing bites teamed with gallery-worthy drinks that transport you to the far-flung corners of the world (minus the airfare), Oriole is a sublime experience in the heart of Smithfield.

www.oriolebar.com